Teen driver crashed dad’s car and then laughed in court

A teenager who took his father’s car and crashed it was warned he could face custody.

Mirza Dawood Baig (18), who was not legally represented, laughed in the dock at Burnley Magistrates’ Court and told the bench: “I didn’t kill anybody. You send people to prison for murder.”

The court was told how Baig, of Grey Street, Burnley, had been seen driving the Volkswagon Polo around the streets of the town at speed. The defendant, who had a passenger, then lost control on a bend and hit some drainpipes on a wall belonging to George Wilkinson Ltd.

Part-time labourer Baig admitted aggravated vehicle taking, last September and was bailed until April 7th, for a pre-sentence report. He was given an interim driving ban.

Andrew Robinson (prosecuting) told the court it was not the first time Baig had taken the vehicle and his father had tried to hide the keys. He found them at 10-30am and drove off.

A witness saw the vehicle travelling at speed at the junction of Elm Street and Old Hall Street and heard loud revving.

The defendant went over some traffic calming measures at speed and onto the wrong side of the road.

Mr Robinson said the witness reported that as Baig approached a left hand bend, he heard a loud crash and found the car had collided with some drainpipes.

The defendant, at the time 17, had been given a youth conditional caution for the offence, but did not comply with it.

He told the justices he did not attend under the conditional caution, as he was actually out of the country.